kscans

Chapter 231 - The Banquet and the Promise.

I awoke in the evening.

The surroundings were growing dark, and torches had been lit. I turned my head and saw Tina dozing next to me.

"Tina? Tina."

My words roused her. "Mm, yeah... Oh, Shinsuke? Is it evening already?"

It seemed she had slept for quite a while.

I sat up. "Looks like we were both pretty exhausted. Usually, a second nap is all I need to feel better."

I flexed my right hand.

There was no pain, but I couldn't put much strength into it. Maybe I'd slept too much. Or maybe I hadn't fully recovered yet.

"You should probably rest a little longer..." Tina said, her voice full of concern.

"Thanks," I replied seriously. "But it's about time we got moving. I'm worried about what the monsters are up to."

Tina thought for a moment. "Alright. Then I'll go with you. It'll be easier with two of us."

She stood up.

I got out of bed as well. My body felt strange, but not so much that I couldn't move. Fighting was out of the question, though. I took a few steps, stumbled, and nearly fell, but Tina quickly caught me.

I thanked her.

"Honestly..." she chided, scolding me with a playful mep. "Don't do anything too strenuous."

It was an incredibly cute gesture.

After we left the infirmary...

The other wounded soldiers muttered amongst themselves.

"'Strenuous'? You don't think..."

"No, it's possible. Those two are always together. It wouldn't be surprising if they were... you know."

"Damn it. To be able to sleep with such a beautiful woman... I don't even have a girlfriend, let alone a female childhood friend..."

They lamented their fate in a corner, unbeknownst to us.

Not that I cared.

As we were walking down the corridor, a soldier approached us. "Oh, are you alright to be moving around already?"

"I'm fine," I said with a wry smile. "Though I can't fight."

"That shouldn't be a problem," the soldier replied. "The monsters haven't made a move. We have sentries posted, but since we defeated their leader, we expect them to lie low for a while. At least, until a new leader emerges..."

His expression darkened slightly.

"A new leader, huh?" I mused. "So they'll be quiet until one appears. Hmm. Well, for now, let's just be glad we're alive."

I smiled.

The soldier seemed to agree and smiled back.

Just as we were about to leave, he said, "Oh, right. If you're feeling up to it, please gather at the main gate on the capital side. The General said he's holding a small celebratory banquet for this occasion. Originally, he was going to hold it when you two woke up, but due to the schedules of the other adventurers, it was decided to hold it tonight. Honestly, I'm glad you're awake. The General will surely be pleased."

"Is that so?" I said, accepting the invitation. "Then we'll be there. I do love a good banquet."

Tina nodded in agreement. She wouldn't turn down such a welcome invitation.

"Thank you," the soldier said. "I'll report to the General immediately."

He saluted and ran off.

When we were alone again, Tina said with a mischievous smile, "This is convenient. After the banquet, most of them will probably be asleep."

Of course, we wouldn't do anything like that.

That night, at the main gate...

A large pile of wood was lit, creating a huge bonfire, like at a campfire.

Surrounding it were adventurers, soldiers, and knights. The tables were laden with a wide variety of dishes. It looked like they had used up all the food in the base.

The General, after confirming that everyone had a cup, addressed the crowd. "Everyone, you fought well yesterday. This victory is thanks to all of your efforts. Some of you fought against powerful monsters. But you are not the only special ones. It was because everyone here was present that we were able to fight. Let me say it again. This is a victory for everyone here. Let's celebrate! Cheers!"

With his call, everyone raised their cups and shouted, "Cheers!"

After a drink, they helped themselves to the food and ate and drank merrily with their comrades. I looked at the food and found some suiton dumplings.

"That's suiton," a nearby cook explained. "It's been served in the Empire for about a year now. It preserves well, has a nice texture, and gives the soup a deeper flavor."

I already knew that, of course, but I didn't say anything. I took some suiton, along with some bone-in meat, garlic-sautéed medicinal herbs, and a medley of grilled mushrooms, and put a little of each on my plate. Tina returned with a plate of different dishes.

We drank and ate. The food was rich, but surprisingly light, and went well with the alcohol. The cook was skilled.

As we were enjoying our meal, the General approached us. "Having a good time, you two?"

"Yeah, we're enjoying ourselves," I said. "But serving this much food... are you sure you'll be okay tomorrow?"

"No problem," the General replied, unconcerned. "Tomorrow, the soldiers will head out to procure supplies. The adventurers are going back to the guild to report that they're safe. Some of them are even going to visit their hometowns. I'd like to give the soldiers and knights a break too, but there are still some things to be worried about, so I'm considering giving them leave in shifts."

He was already thinking about tomorrow.

"Worried about something?" Tina asked. "I heard they'd lie low since we defeated their leader."

"Your point is well taken, my beautiful lady," the General replied. "But there are stragglers among the monsters. At most, about ten of them, but we still need to be on our guard. You two should rest. You're the heroes of this battle. Stay here, return to the capital, do as you please."

With that, he walked away.

He was probably going to greet the others as well. People in high positions had to be considerate. Otherwise, their subordinates wouldn't follow them.

There were few bosses in companies back on Earth who could do that these days.

They just act important, suck up to their superiors, and are intimidating and sometimes even violent to their subordinates.

A peaceful world makes people soft.

Not that I'm saying peace is a bad thing. But only those who have survived harsh environments truly know the meaning of peace.

Damn, I'm thinking about depressing things. I'm not trying to change the world.

I'm just going to do what I want to do. Without causing trouble for ordinary people. I'll just forget about all the unnecessary stuff and enjoy myself.

I drained my cup and asked for a refill. I ate until my stomach felt like it would burst.

The banquet was a great success.

Late that night...

The participants were snoring on the spot where they had been celebrating. The General and the knights had staggered back to their rooms. The night watch was sparse, focused only on the wilderness where the monsters were.

It was the perfect opportunity for us.

Back in our tent, I said, "Let's go."

At my words, the red goblin emerged.

Tina was beckoning. It seemed that way was safe. We walked along a narrow, rocky path in the dead of night.

After about thirty minutes...

After confirming that no one was around, I said to the goblin, "You can get there on your own from here. Go back to your comrades. And here, this is food. Take it."

I handed him a small bag.

Inside was a small amount of medicinal herbs and dried meat. All things that would last a long time.

{Why are you doing this?} The words appeared on the translator I had brought.

"I'm a hunter," I said. "Hunting monsters is my job. But I don't just hunt indiscriminately. I only hunt what I need, when I need it. But I don't feel right hunting those who don't resist. So, I'd like you to continue leading the monsters and causing trouble for the humans. Not on a large scale like this time, but on a small scale like you used to would be enough."

{Why? Aren't humans working for peace?} the goblin asked.

"That's true," I said. "But if things get too peaceful, humans will start fighting among themselves. To prevent that, they need a common enemy. Monsters are the perfect fit. And, well, this is just my personal feeling, but as a hunter, if there's nothing to hunt, I'm out of business."

I shrugged.

Tina chuckled beside me.

My reasoning had nothing to do with justice or the good of the people. It was more about hunting monsters and people benefiting from the materials. I was helping people in that way, but it was just a side effect.

I'm not a hero or a savior. I'm just a hunter.

{I understand. And I owe you for helping me. I'll try to bring everyone together.}

"Yeah, but if you could, wait a while before causing trouble for the humans," I said. "They're pretty exhausted. If you feel you owe me, could you wait a month or two?"

{Yes, I'll try. Well then.}

The goblin bowed and left.

When we were alone again, Tina said with a smile, "This feels strange. Talking to a monster like this. And it makes me feel a little guilty."

"Of course it does," I said. "We're just workers, hunters by trade. Without work, we can't do anything. We can't eat. It's because there are monsters that we can do our hunting work. And if anything, I hope they attack us. It makes it easier to hunt them without any qualms."

I said something dangerous.

But it couldn't be helped. Torturing and killing left a bad taste in my mouth. Tina said nothing and placed her hand on my left hand. Her gentleness was a real comfort.

I looked up at the full moon and thought about what to do next.

Three hours after the goblin's departure...

He made his way through the night without a light. Goblins had good night vision, so it wasn't a problem. But a huge shadow appeared in front of him.

The goblin was on guard, but the moonlight revealed its identity. It was a Cyclops.

(You! You're safe!) the goblin sent, overjoyed.

(Yes,) the Cyclops replied. (I was ordered to protect the nest from that unknown entity, so I didn't go to the battlefield. But I'm sorry. To have cast you out, you who served for so long, and to have incited such a creature to be our master. What happened?)

He apologized, his face grim.

(Don't worry about it,) the goblin replied. (More importantly, what about the others?)

(The others have come to their senses as well,) the Cyclops said. (They're looking for you.)

(I see,) the goblin replied. (Then let's go back. I want to talk to everyone about the future.)

The Cyclops was delighted. He placed the goblin on his shoulder and headed back.